Apparatus for cooling dehydrated forage crops



J. H. FULMER May-20, '1941.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING DEHYDRATED FORAGE CROPS Filed March 18. 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 1 ATToRNEYs.

May 2 0, 1941. J H, FULMER 2,242,702

APPARATUS FOR COOLING DEHYDRATED FORAGE CROPS Filed March 18,v 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BY l A TTORNEYS.

May 20, 1941 l 4.L H. FULMER 2,242,702

APPARATUS FOR COOLING DEHYDRATED FORAOE GROPS Filed March l8 1940 5Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented May zo, 1941 fil- :APPARATUS'FOR COOLING DEHYDRATED Y FORAGE'CROPS Joseph Henryl'ulmer, N azareth, Pa. Application` March 18, 1940,'SerialNa '324,735

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for cooling-dehydrated foragecrops, the primary object of the invention being to provide a meanswhich may be'used `in conjunction with dehydrating machines which grindand packageA the dehydrated forage 1crop,^for cooling the material,

-with the'resultA that a better product is produced for delivery tothe'ultimate buyer and consumer.

/grindingvmilla due to friction set up within the mills to reduce thehigh fibrous materials, the temperature of the material may have risento approximately 300 F. 'In large operations where one hundred tons ormore of the product is vproduced per day and immediately sto-redinto-warehouses or even where the material may be loaded direct from thedehydrating machine into cars direct from the packing platform, due

to the high fibrous content, the heat dissipation 5" is very slow. Ithas also been noted that where large quantities of these products are sostored, there is a very rapid loss of the essentiall vitamins andcarotene contained in the product and a serious deterioration in color.

It has been found that if the material is cooled `as it passes from thedehydrating ma chine, it can be stored in near air-tight containers, andthe original vitamin content and `color will be preserved, for anindefinite period.

An important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thislcharacter which will accomplish the cooling of the material Aas thematerial is produced and delivered from the grinding mills of themachine, the material being in a powdered form.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for feedingthe material through the cooling chamber, at aY predetermined rate ofspeed to insure the cooling of the material, the feeding means alsoacting to maintain the material iclose to the wall' of the coolingchamber to effect an even cooling of the material.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds,

Cil

the Vinvention resides in the combinationand arrangement `of parts andin the details of iconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, litbeing under-stood that changes in the `precise embodiment of theinvention herein described,

.may be m-ade Within the scope of `what is claimed, without/departingfrom the spirit of the' invention.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a planview of acooling apparatusconstructed in accordance vwith the invention.

Figure 2 is a side 'elevational view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlargedfragmental sectional view'illustrating the interiorconstru'ction of thecooling apparatus.

Figure 4 is an end elevational View of the cooling device.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on line -54-5 of 'Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in ydetail,"the device comprises an elongatedbody portion indicated generally by the reference character 5. Thel bodyportion includes vertical side walls'l and a bottom 1, the bottom 'l andside )walls 6 being insulated to retain the temperature ofthe coolingmedium.

Thefbody portion 5 is supported on the framework embodying uprights 8,and as shown, the

body portion is supported in an inclined *position, the discharge end ofthe body portion being elevated an appreciable distance above the feedend thereof. However, itv is to be under stood that the angle at whichthe body portion may be supported will be varied, to meet variousconditions and requirements.

Mounted within the body portion and extending throughout the lengththereof is a cooling chamber indicated at 9, the cooling chamber havinga curved bottom, conforming to the curvature of the spiral feed memberor worm lo which operates in the bearings Il thatv are formed at thelower ends of the arms I2 lformed integral with the cross arms l3fthathave their ends bolted to the body portion.

As clearly shown by Figure 5 of the drawings, ther cooling chamber 9 isspaced an appreciable distance above the bottom 1 'of the body portion,

providing an air chamber, through which the cooling medium, which is inthe form of air, is circulated to accomplish the cooling result. A wiremesh cover indicated at I4 is hingedly cor!r nected at one side of thebody portion and is curved upwardly, as shown by Figure 5 of thedrawings. This wire mesh cover I4 provides a support for a suitablefabric material having a mesh sufficiently iine to protect the contentsof the cooling chamber, which is of a fine powder or dust form, againstwind pressure, to prevent the wind from blowing the material from thecooling chamber.

The fabric material is indicated by the reference character I5, and isshaped to t the wire mesh cover to the end that the fabric material willbe held against flapping under wind pressure.

A feed hopper indicated at I6 is disposed at one end of the body portionand is arranged to ,communicate with the cooling chamber to delivermaterial to the cooling chamber at one end thereof.

At one end of the shaft of the spiral feed member or worm I0, is a gearI'I that is in mesh with the gear I8 mounted on the shaft I9. Gear 20 isalso mounted on the shaft I9 and meshes with the gear 2I that is securedto the end of the motor shafrt 22. The motor, which is of the electricaltype, is indicated by the reference character 23, and as shown, themotor is mounted on the platform 24 disposed at the feed end of the bodyportion. Due to this construction, it will be seen that the gearingreduces the speed of operation of the spiral feed member or worm I tocause the material to be fed gradually through the cooling chamber 9.

Communicating with the cooling chamber at the opposite end thereof, is adischarge hopper 25 to which the delivery spout 26 is connected. Thedelivery spout includes branches 21 formed with valves 28, whereby bagsor containers may be positioned under the spout to'receive materialtherefrom. A valve member 29 is also positioned within the dischargespout 26 at a point adjacent to the feed ends of the branches 21, sothat the operator may by moving the valves, direct material to either ofthe branches, or both of said branches, simultaneously.

The reference character 39 ydesignates a pipe which establishescommunication between the space or chamber formed between the coolingchamber 9 and bottom 1 of the body portion, andl the housing 3l in whichthe blower 32 is mounted, the blower 32 operating to draw airinto thehousing 3I and force the air into the space between the cooling chamberand bottoni 'I of the body portion.

The housing 3| is preferably provided with a compartment in which asuitable refrigerating coil or dry ice container may be held, so thatthe air which is drawn into the housing 3l will be thoroughly chilled,to effectively accomplish the cooling of the material under treatment,as the air is circulated around the cooling chamber.

An outlet pipe indicated at 33 communicates with the space between thecooling chamber and bottom 'I, at the opposite end of the body portion,whereby the air which is forced through the device, may exhausttherefrom.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The material from the usual dehydrating machine, is fed into the hopperIB. The spiral feed member or worm I Il is set in motion which graduallyfeeds the material, which is in powdered or dust form, to the dischargeend of the cooling chamber. During the passage of the material throughthe cooling chamber, cold air is forced into the space between thecooling chamber and bottom 1, reducing the temperature of the coolingchamber to effectively cool the material which is being agitated duringthe passage of the material to the discharge end of the apparatus.

It has been found that after the material has been, treated by theapparatus forming the subject matter of this invention, the temperatureof the material will be reduced to a degree slightly below atmospherictemperature to the end that the product may be packaged in airtight ornear air-tight containers.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cooling finely ground dry material, comprising aninclined substantially deep body portion including vertical side wallsand a bottom, the top of the body portion being open throughout itslength, a cooling chamber mounted within the body portion and comprisinga length of sheet metal material longitudinally bent intermediate itssideedges, providing a. curved bottom and substantially straight sidewalls, the side walls of the cooling chamber being secured to the sidewalls of the body portion, the curved bottom of the cooling chamberbeing disposedbelow a horizontal line drawn transversely through thecenter of the body portion, the top of the cooling chamber being open,portions of the side walls of the cooling chamber being spaced from theside walls of the body portion, an upwardly bulged cover constructed ofWire mesh material, hingedly connected to the body portion, a fabriccovering mounted on the w'ire mesh cover, a spiral conveyor operatingwithin the curved bottom of the cooling chamber and adapted to feedmaterial to the upper end of the cooling chamber, and means fordirecting a. cooling medium to the body portion and against the bottomof the cooling chamber, cooling material carried through the coolingchamber by the conveyor. 2. An apparatus for cooling finely groundmaterial, comprising an inclined substantially deep body portionembodying vertical side walls and a bottom, the top of the body portionbeing open throughout its length, a cooling chamber mounted within thebody portion and comprising a length of sheet metal material curvedintermediate its side edges, providing a curved bottom and side walls,rthe side walls of the cooling chamber being secured to the innersurfaces' of the side walls of the `body portion, a worm conveyoroperating within the cooling chamber and engaging the curved bottom ofthe cooling chamber, the upper edge of the worm conveyor being spaced anappreciable distance below the open top of the body pontion and coolingchamber, an upwardly bulged cover constructed of wire mesh material,hingedly connected to the body portion and adapted to cover the openside of the body portion, a fabric member positioned over the wire meshcover, means for feeding material to the cooling chamber, andy means fordirecting a blast of cooling air into the body portion below the coolingchamber changing the temperature of the cooling chamber and materialconveyed therethrough.

JOSEPH HENRY FU LMER.

